Self-retracting jack support for a wagon tongue



Oct. 15, 1968 o. H. SCHULER 3,405,955

sELF-RETRACTING JACK SUPPORT FOR A WAGON TONGUE Original Filed June 11,1964 Z0 Mme/v70? /02 F 1 popmzva/zscww. 2

8? d4 7445 2% a; g- 7 477-019: as

United States Patent 3,405,955 SELF-RETRACTING JACK SUPPORT FOR A WAGONTONGUE Dorland H. Schuler, Griswold, Iowa 51535 Original applicationJune 11, 1964, Ser. No. 374,455, new Patent No. 3,273,733. Divided andthis application July 28, 1966, Ser. No. 568,614

8 Claims. (Cl. 280-475) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device fortrailer-type vehicles including a jack support pivotally connected to aV-shaped tongue at a point on the jack wherein the center of gravity isso located to cause the jack to normally pivot the base end thereofupwardly against the converging end of the V-shaped tongue. Means isprovided for locking the jack in a vertical upright position.

This is a divisional application of my co-pending application Ser. No.374,455 filed June 11, 1964, and now Patent No. 3,273,733.

The grain wagon of this invention is described in detail in applicantsco-pending application and includes the operation of filling the wagonwith grain and commercial feed and by the use of a conveyor systemdischarging the mixture from the wagon and returning it to the wagon,thereby mixing it as it moves through the cycle of operation. When theblending and mixing operation has been completed, the return feedmaterial conveyor is positioned for discharge of the feed at a feedingstation or the like.

The jack support of this invention has as an object the providing of ajack support structure which will automatically move to an inoperativeposition when the wagon has been hitched to a tractor or the like.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a grain wagonhaving a front end stationary support means which may be quicklypositioned for supporting the front end of the wagon while separatedfrom the tractor or the like.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a farm wagonhaving a tongue structure which permits the tractor or the like pullingthe wagon to turn at an angle of 90 degrees to the wagon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a grain wagon havinga jack support which is simple in design, economical to manufacture andrefined in appearance.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements, andcombination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the wagon from the forward endthereof;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the wagon connected to a farm tractor andin particular showing the tractor positioned :at a 90 degree angle tothe wagon;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing only the wagon frame constructionin combination with the wagon tongue and jack support assembly;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the jack support assemblyin its position of use;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional elevational View taken along line 55 inFIGURE 4 and showing in detail the construction of the jack supportassembly;

FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view taken along line 6--6 in FIGURE 5;and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIGURE 4, butshowing the jack support assembly in its transport position.

The wagon of this invention is referred to in FIGURE 1 generally by thereference numeral 10 and includes the Wagon box 12 carried on a set ofwheels 14. A tongue assembly 16 is provided at the forward end of thewagon 10 and used both to support the front end of the wagon by itsconnection to a tractor 18 (FIGURE 2) or a jack assembly 20 whendisengaged from a tractor or the like.

The tongue assembly 16 (FIGURE 3) is V-shaped in construction andincludes a pair of members 72 which are fixedly secured to a transversewagon frame member 74 at points substantially offset inwardly from theouter ends of the transverse member 74. The member 74 is hollow andsquare in cross section and is turned degrees such that each pair ofdiagonally opposite corners are disposed in horizontal and verticalplanes. By this positioning, the transverse member 74 presents asubstantially stronger connection to the free ends of the tongue members72. The greatest forces exerted on the transverse member 74 are alongthe horizontal and vertical planes coinciding with the two diagonalplanes extending through the two pairs of opposite corners of thetransverse member 74. By having the additional strength in thetransverse member 74, it is possible to offset inwardly the members 72of the tongue 16 and thereby enable the tractor 18 to make a sharp 90degree turn without intereference from the wagon tongue as bestillustrated in FIGURE 2.

To simplify the wagons construction, only a single set of wheels 14 havebeen provided and thus when the tractor 18 or the like is disengagedtherefrom, a support means at the front end of the wagon is required. Asillustrated in FIGURES 1 and 7, the jack assembly 20 is provided andcarried by the tongue 16. In FIGURE 5, the jack 20 is shown to include abase ground engaging convex member 76 having a center opening 78 formedtherein which receives a pin 80. A head element 82 is welded onto thelower end of the pin to prevent its upward movement through the centeropening 78. However, angular movement relative to the vertical ispermitted since the pin 80 is substantially smaller in diameter than theopening 78 in the base 76. The upper end of the pin 80 is welded to ahead 84 which in turn is welded to a tube 86 inwardly from its lower endwhich is in bearing engage-' ment with the outer convex surface of thebase member 76. The upper end of the tube 86 is provided with a threadedmember 88 which receives a threaded shaft 90 connected to a handle 92. Asecond tube 94 telescopically embraces the tube 86 and rotatbly receivesthrough its upper end the shaft 90. To prevent relative rotation betweenthe tubes 86 and 94, they each are provided with a pair of grooves 96and ribs 98 in mating engagement with each other along their outersurfaces diametrically opposite each other. Thus, as the handle 92 isrotated, the tubes 86 and 94 move towards and away from each otherdepending on the direction of rotation of the handle 92.

The outer tube 94 of the jack assembly 20 is fixedly secured to aU-shaped bracket 100 which is mounted on a shaft 102 extending betweenthe tongue members 72. A notch 104 is formed in the upper end of one legof the U-shaped member 100 for locking engagement with a latch 106mounted on the tongue member 72 (FIGURE 7) whereby the jack assembly 20may be held in a locked upright vertical position as illustrated inFIGURE 4 for supporting the front end of the wagon 10.

The weight of the jack assembly 20 is distributed relalive to the axisof rotation along the shaft 102 such that upon disengagement of thelatch 106 from the notch 104, the jack 20 will automatically pivot to ahorizontal position as illustrated in FIGURE 7. The rotational movementof the jack 20 is limited by the tongue member 72 serving as stop meanssince the base 76 of the jack 20 cannot pivot therebetween. When it isdesired to return the jack 20 to its upright vertical position, it isonly necessary to overcome the natural offcenter rotational forces ofthe jack 20 about the shaft 162. With the latch 106 in engagement withthe notch 104 and the U-shaped bracket 100, the jack 20 is heldpositively in its vertical upright position. When the jack 20 is not inuse, the handle 92 may be pivoted to its out-of-the-way positionrepresented by the dash lines 92 in FIGURE 5.

From a consideration of the foregoing disclosure, it will be obviousthat all of the initially recited objects of the present invention havebeen achieved.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my grainwagon without departing from the real spirit and purpose of myinvention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modifiedforms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may bereasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. A jack support apparatus for a trailer-type vehicle,

tongue means having two opposite ends, one end being adaptable foroperative connection to the forward end of a trailer-type vehicle andthe other end being adapted for detachable securement to the rearwardend of a pulling vehicle,

a jack support pivotally secured at a point intermediate its ends butaway from its center of gravity to said tongue means, such that thebalance of weight of said jack support normally pivots it to ahorizontal position from an upright vertical position,

a means for locking said jack support in a vertical position to supportsaid tongue above a support surface, and

means for limiting the upward pivotal movement of said jack support.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means includessaid tongue means which includes spaced apart V-shaped legs whichconverge towards each other at the forward end of said tongue means,with the pivotal position of said jack support being such that the lowerend thereof will engage the converging legs of said tongue means whensaid jack support is in a substantially horizontal position whereuponsaid converging legs will limit the pivotal movement of said jacksupport.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein a stop means is mounted on saidtongue means in such a position that it prohibits the pivotal movementof the top portion of said jack support from a vertical position towardsthe V- shaped end of said tongue means.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein said jack support is pivotallyconnected at a point offset from the longitudinal axis of said jacksupport.

5. The structure of claim 2 wherein said jack support is longitudinallyextendible and retractable between a fully extended position and a fullyretracted position, said jack support means being pivotally connected ata point offset from the longitudinal axis of said jack support.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said jack support is pivotallyconnected to said tongue means at a point remote from the longitudinalaxis of said jack support.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said jack support is pivotallysecured to said tongue means so that the pivotal axis of said jacksupport is below the center of gravity of said jack support and islaterally spaced from the longitudinal axis of said jack support.

8. The structure of claim 1 wherein said tongue means includes spacedapart V-shaped legs which converge towards each other at the forward endof said tongue means, with the position of said jack support meanssubstantially rearwardly remote from the converging end of said V-shaped legs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,168,906 8/1939 Leary 254-862,205,436 6/ 1940 Richards 254-86 3,273,733 9/ 1966 Schuler 280-475FOREIGN PATENTS 645,078 10/1950 Great Britain.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner.

